All is Fair in Love and War
by movystr2b
Summary: When a mysterious girl pops up at Percy's school, Annabeth is super jealous. In order to make Percy jealous, she starts hanging out with another guy from school. However; what Percy and Annabeth don't know is that there is a lot more than meets the eye.
1. Lab Partners

**A/N: I know. I am very bad. I started this FanFiction before I even finished my last one. I actually started this one on vacation (I'm TOO addicted. Lol.) and now the first chapter is done. Btw: the POV's might be a little weird on this one. Like, one chapter might be Percy and the next one might be Percy again. But, I'm not sure. Enjoy!! :D **

Percy POV:

It started when she took a seat next to me during lab class at my school. We were doing a project that required partners, and nobody had chosen me yet. I was totally fine with that. But, she interrupted the moment.

"Hey!" she smiled at me as she took a seat on the stool next to me. "I'm Olivia."

"Hi?" I replied. I'd never seen this 'Olivia' girl around before. It was almost like she had appeared suddenly at school. Which topped my list of "Why This Freaky Girl Could Be a Monster."

"Do you wanna be my lab partner?" she asked. I looked around the room to find that most people already had a partner. The teacher would be coming around any minute to write down the pairs.

I looked back at Olivia. She had redish-brown hair that went down to her shoulders, and she had side bangs that covered most of her face. From what I could see, Olivia was wearing tight jeans (the really skinny kind) and a hot pink shirt. Nothing like my really (_really_) close friend Annabeth, who would rather be shot by an arrow than wear Olivia's outfit.

"Um . . . sure," I replied. She settled down on the stool and gave our names to the teacher. She unpacked a notebook (pink) from her backpack (also pink) and opened to a page filled with words. Because of my dyslexia, my head started to hurt, and the words floated around the paper.

"What's that?" I asked, pointing at the sheet.

Olivia looked at me sideways, but she had a huge smile on her face. "The assignment? From last night? We had to write an essay, remember?"

"Oh Gods," I muttered. Last night was . . . interesting. It all started when a monster had burst in while we were eating dinner. If there was an essay, I didn't do it.

"You didn't do it?" Olivia asked. I wanted to glare at her and tell her to stay out of my business, but that would of course I couldn't. I thought she was going to add some snarky comment but she didn't. "That happens too much to me too. Was last night busy?"

I nodded, surprised. She understood? That was a little surprising, but a little flattering at the same time. I looked up to see the teacher glancing at Olivia's work and smiling.

"Mr. Jackson? Your essay?"

I was about to make up some excuse or say that I just forgot it, but Olivia interrupted.

"Mrs. Walter? Percy didn't do the assignment because yesterday he missed class because he was at . . . ." She looked to me to continue.

"Yeah, yeah. Um . . Mrs. Walter, I was at the nurse yesterday. I had a bad cough," I coughed twice for emphasis. "The substitute didn't tell me the assignment because I wasn't there. So . . ."

The teacher gave us the you-better-not-be-lying-or-else look and then made a mark in her gradebook. She sniffed and said, "It is excused. But next time please check with a classmate." And she left.

I looked at Olivia who was smiling at me. "Thanks," I smiled back at her.

"Anytime," she grinned. Then she scooted her stool a little closer to mine. "So, Percy, um . . . I was wondering if you were free for the dance next week."

Instantly, I scooted away. So, this whole, I-saved-your-life thing was a set up? All she really wanted to do was ask me to the dance? Which I found super weird because I wasn't even planning to go to the dance in the first place.

Olivia was staring at me. I found her a little intimidating now, with her dark brown eyes boring into me.

"Um . . . I don't know. I kind of had plans already," I replied, turning red. Annabeth would be furious if I said anything else.

"Oh," Olivia looked disappointed. "That's okay. I'll get someone else to go with me."

I nodded awkwardly and class soon ended.

"Percy?" my mom called from inside. "Is that you? We're in the kitchen!"

"We?" I replied as I walked through the door. Annabeth was seated at the kitchen table. "Oh. Hey, Annabeth."

She smiled at me. "Hey."

My head started to feel a little fuzzy. She was dressed a little different than normal, which was fine by me. Her style outside of camp seemed more girly. But I didn't mind. She was suddenly finding colors that looked really good on her. Like today.

She was wearing jeans and a purple striped half-sleeve shirt. Her blonde hair was wet like she had just showered, and her grey eyes were sparkling.

"You're here early," I said, putting down my backpack and walking over to her. She got up and smiled. She seemed in a really happy mood. Maybe it was because we were going to the movies soon.

"Yeah. Break starts tomorrow so we got out early," Annabeth replied, and she hugged me. My heart jumped.

As we broke away, I saw my mom staring at us with her hand over her heart. She had a huge smile on her face. I turned red and motioned for her to stop. She laughed.

"So, what movie are you two planning to see? Did you buy tickets?" she asked.

Annabeth looked at me and I shrugged. "Up to you," I told her. She blushed slightly, but then recovered.

"Why don't we just decide when we're there? Then we can go whenever we want," she suggested.

"Good idea," I grabbed my jacket off the rack and headed to the door with Annabeth following me. "Bye, Mom."

"Bye! By the time you get back, Paul will be home, okay, Percy?"

I nodded and opened the door. I allowed Annabeth to step out first, and I shut the door behind me. We headed out onto the streets as evening fell across New York City. I revved up the engine of Paul's car, (he finally let me borrow his car after I got my permit) and we were on our way.


	2. You're the One Paying!

**No pitchforks and fire?? :D Enjoyy!! **

Annabeth POV:

"What movie?" Percy stood back, looking at the long list of shows playing at the theater.

"It's up to you," I told him. "You're paying."

"What?" he cried. "Who said I was paying?!"

I laughed. "_I_ did, Seaweed Brain. Now, decide what movie."

He gave me a small smile. "Fine. I choose movie. You buy drinks. We both pay for the movie. Deal?"

"How stupid do you think I am?" I punched him lightly on the shoulder. "We'll split the cost of everything. Let's go. Decide."

He chose a new comedy movie that had recently come out, and we went to get some snacks. As we were purchasing our food and drinks in line, Percy glanced at the girl in front of us and took a deep breath.

"Great," he muttered. "She's here."

"Who?" I asked. The girl in front of us had auburn-colored hair, and she was wearing tight jeans and a pink shirt. She was _that_ kind of girl? Great. "Do you know her?"

"Yeah. Yeah. I know her alright," Percy replied.

"We don't have to eat, and wait in line, you know," I suggested. "I'm not _super _hungry."

Percy smiled at me, and his sea-green eyes sparkled in the lights of the theater. "Thanks, Annabeth, but I'm fine. She probably won't notice us."

And just then, she turned around . . . . and noticed us. Her dark brown eyes lit up.

"Percy?" she exclaimed. "Hey!"

"Hi, Olivia," Percy tried to smile at her.

"I can't believe you're here! That's so great!" she glanced at me and gave me a small smile. "You're . . . . . Annabeth, right?"

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Percy looking alarmed. "How do you know my name?" I asked Olivia.

Her eyes widened. "Oh, well, um . . Percy mentioned you once at school. A few weeks ago, actually."

A few weeks? He knew about this girl, who was obviously into him, for a few _weeks_? And he didn't tell me?

"Which movie are you guys here to watch?" Olivia asked.

"Um . . ." Percy stalled. "That comedy one that came out a few weeks ago."

"Ooh, really?" Olivia smiled. She smiled too much, I thought with great disgust. "I'm watching that too!"

"Really?" I asked through my gritted teeth. "What a coincidence!"

If Olivia though this was sarcasm, she didn't show it. Instead she laughed, which made me dislike her even more.

"I know, right?" Olivia replied. "Hey, why don't we watch it together? You guys can wait here, I'll be right back!" And she skipped away.

Percy let out a huge breath and frowned. "This is great. Just great."

"How do you know her, exactly?" I asked. He looked up at me, and his face turned a light shade of red.

"Um . . . well, today she forced me into being her lab partner," he said. I forced a smile, but I felt. . . a little hurt. . . and . . . scared?

"And. .?" I pushed him further. I wanted to know more about how he knew this girl.

"And that's it," he shrugged.

"Do you like her?" I asked. I wanted to know if he liked her like _that_. Just to tease him, I guess, and I was expecting a no.

"Well. . ." Percy blushed and stuffed his hands into his pockets. My mouth dropped and my heart squeezed in my chest.

"You're actually THINKING about it?" I yelled. "That wasn't even a question? I knew I couldn't trust you, Percy. You're NO different than ANY other STUPID Seaweed Brain! Of COUSE you would like OLIVIA. She's pretty, rich, and smart. What was I thinking, being with you? I KNEW this would happen sooner or later!"

Percy looked confused. . and a bit hurt, but I didn't care. I turned and started to stomp away. "Annabeth!" he called after me.

I turned back and shouted over my shoulder. "Shut up, Percy. We're done. . if we had even started."

And with that, I left the theater, leaving Percy and my heart behind.

**A/N: I hoped you liked that chapter!! :D :D Let's see. . . if I get. . hmm. . . 20 reviews. . then I'll update again. :D Okay?? THANK YOUU ALL YOU AH-MAZING PEOPLE!! YOU ROCKK!! :D Review if you'd like (and want me to update again!) :D**


	3. Falling Fast

**I don't own ANYTHING (do we REALLY have to do this??)**

**And YES. Percy and Annabeth WERE dating. Hehe, sorry for not putting that before. ENJOY!! **

Percy POV:

I watched Annabeth storm out the doors of the theater, and my heart grew heavy. What had I done? Seriously. I didn't do _anything_.

I glanced around. Now what was I gonna do? I sighed, and spun on my heels. . right into Olivia.

"Olivia?" I asked, surprised. I didn't know she was _still_ here.

"Hey, Percy!" Olivia smiled, and without realizing, I smiled back. Suddenly, I didn't feel so awkward around her.

"So," she asked. "where'd Annabeth go?"

"Oh," I stalled. "Um . . she went to . . ."

Olivia laughed; her laugh was a loud, harsh giggle that was different from Annabeth's lively laugh. But I didn't really mind.

"Don't strain yourself, Percy," she said. "So, since she's not here, are you still up for that movie?"

I shrugged. This was pushing it a little farther, and I hesitated. Sure, Olivia was a friend, whether Annabeth liked it or not. But I didn't want it to go any farther. I was still kind of recovering from what I had done to Annabeth.

"It's okay if you don't wanna see it," Olivia said quickly, reminding me so much of how Annabeth had sounded only half an hour ago that my heart hurt. But I knew that I couldn't remain hurting like this. It would definitely catch up to me and ruin how I acted.

So, I replied, "No, Olivia, it's fine. Let's go for it. Wouldn't want these tickets to go to waste, now would I?"

She laughed again and I grinned. Maybe this evening was turning out better than I thought.

"I loved the end!" Olivia exclaimed, throwing her head back while laughing as we exited the theater.

"Eh, it was okay," I smiled, stuffing my hands in my pocket. "I've seen better. Like once, I saw this movie with Annabeth. . and. ." I trailed off awkwardly. Annabeth was a subject we had been avoiding though I had just been with her a couple hours ago.

Olivia frowned. She turned to face me and stopped short. I stopped a few steps ahead of her, but walked back.

"Percy, can you _please_ not talk about Annabeth?" she asked, closing her eyes.

That hurt a little. Annabeth may not be my girlfriend, but she was still my friend. . I hoped. "Why not?"

Olivia looked like she was about to loose it over one simple little thing, but she pulled it together and smiled at me.

"Because it makes you unhappy!" she smiled and reached out to touch my hair.

I pulled away. I wasn't ready to go there. Olivia's smiled dimmed a little, but it was still there. She turned to look outside.

"Oh! Right here!" she exclaimed, pointing out the window. I pulled over at the curb of a tall apartment building that looked really expensive.

"Wow," I said before I could stop myself. Olivia turned and smiled at me for one last time. She leaned over, but then stopped short, and opened the car door to get out. After she left, I leaned back against the seat and sighed.

All my fault, I thought. This is all. My. Fault. Actually, no, it wasn't my fault. It was _Aphrodite's_ fault. Curse her, I thought, looking up.

I started up the car and drove towards my apartment building. Along the way, I thought I saw a figure watching me from a building. I quickly stopped, parked, and got out. If there was a monster, I needed to get rid of it.

Cautiously, I drew Riptide, my sword, but kept it in its disguised form, a pen.

"Hello?" I called. I uncapped the pen and it grew into three feet of Celestial bronze, one of the deadliest weapons ever.

Something in the shadows moved, and I spun around. I jumped forward, carving my sword in a deadly arc that would hopefully kill the monster before it would attack.

Suddenly, I heard a clash of swords and found myself on the ground. When I looked up, Annabeth was glaring back at me, her eyes red from crying. She was slipping her knife back into its case.

"Annabeth?" I asked, a tint of relief in my voice.

"What the Hades was that?" Her voice was scratchy. . like she'd been sobbing. My heart hurt when I realized that it was my fault.

"I—um, I thought you were, uh. . a monster," I admitted.

"What?!?" She cried. "That makes me feel a LOT better than I was already feeling!"

"Annabeth," I said, standing up, "I'm _so_ sorry. Will you please forgive me?"

She squinted at me and then looked at her watch. "Wait," she asked. "Where've you been all night? You just left after the movie, right?"

"Umm. . ."

"Percy! Did you or did you not?"

"Um, actually, I went—I went to go see a movie with Olivia. We used your ticket," I rushed my sentence.

Annabeth's gray eyes widened, and tears started slipping down her cheeks once again. She turned and walked away.

"Annabeth! Come on! Please, just listen to me?!" I yelled, running after her.

She turned, and her eyes were filled with a sort of hurt I had never seen before. "I knew it, Percy. You would just break my heart again. Again. How many times do we have to do this until you realize that everytime you try to get me back, you're just hurting me even more?" —She took a deep breath— "When I fall, Percy, I fall fast. I was falling fast for you. I thought you would already know that. So, just leave me alone, okay?" And with that, she disappeared into the darkness of the night.

**A/N: Gods, you people expect so much from me!! You guys got to 20 reviews in, like, a day!! :D You guys ROCKK. :D So, this chapter is kind of a transition to the next part of the story. Like, after this, the REAL stuff is gonna start happening. :D I'm gonna keep raising the bars on the reviews cuz I can't update that fast!! :D So. . hmm…let's say 40 reviews and I'll update. :D K?? THANK YOUU!! I LOVE Y'ALL!! :D 33**

**Review if you'd like (and you want me to update!) :D **


	4. Chocolatey Eyes and Stupid Decisions

Annabeth POV:

"Annabeth?" There was a quiet knock on the door of my dorm.

"What?" I said, my already-scratchy voice cracking.

"Class is going start in fifteen minutes," Jennifer, one of my friends from the boarding school, warned from the other side of the door.

"I—I'm coming. Thanks, Jennifer," I replied, slowly getting up from my position on my bed. Tissues were scattered on the floor around the bed and my pillow, despite the fact I changed the pillowcase three times that night, was soaked with tears.

I stretched, quickly finding that I was _really_ sore, and walked into my bathroom. I was an absolute mess. My curly blonde hair was frizzing out in clumps all over my head and my face was streaked with tears. My eyes were red and my head hurt like crazy.

Splashing water on my face, I tried to forget what had happened last night. The one person who had made me like this. Trying unsuccessfully to comb out my hair, I silently cursed Olivia. The girl that had made me this mess.

I changed out of my now-wrinkled clothes from last night into jeans and a t-shirt. Sighing, I splashed water on my face once again, trying to hide the fact that I'd been up the whole night sobbing over some guy.

Some stupid guy who happened to be a son of Poseidon. And that same stupid guy who had captured my heart a long time ago.

"There you are!" Jennifer whispered as I slipped into the desk across from her during class. She studied my face and nodded in approval. "Nice job cleaning up. Are you doing okay?"

I felt myself turning a little red. Jennifer had heard my whole crying spell last night? Of course she did.

"Yeah. . I'm fine," I replied, quickly turning away to face the teacher.

"Class, today we will be starting a huge project about the orgins of a certain civilization. There will be partners, but I have already chosen them," the teacher announced. A series of groans and sighs followed as the students realized they would probably be paired up with someone they hated.

"Now, now," the teacher quieted his class down. "Don't whine. I have the list right here. Jessica Samson with Michael Williams . . ." I was staring into space until she heard my name being called. ". . . and Annabeth Chase with Chris Wilkinson."

Chris Wilkinson. The name sounded familiar, but I couldn't exactly remember who he was. Suddenly, I turned and a boy was kneeling down on the ground near my desk. I jumped.

"Oh, sorry. Didn't mean to scare you or anything," the boy smiled and held out his hand. "I'm Chris, by the way."

"Annabeth," I replied, shaking his hand.

"Yeah, I know. We have a bunch of classes together. Math, science, history, and gym, actually," Chris added. I looked at him sideways, and he blushed. "Anyway," he smoothly changed the subject. "What civilization do you want to do? It's totally up to you."

"I was thinking ancient—"

"Greece?" Chris finished my sentence. I was starting to have second thoughts about this guy.

"Um . . yeah, Greece. I love Greek mythology," I told him. He nodded and ran his hand through his hair. He was a pretty good-looking guy with sandy hair that was spiked towards the back of his head. He was athletic, though I was pretty sure he didn't play any sports, and his eyes were a really dark, dark chocolate brown.

"Awesome. I love Greece too. It's so fascinating," Chris smiled at me. His smile reminded me of someone's but once again, I couldn't tell whom. This guy was a mystery on his own. I decided to let it be though. I didn't feel like thinking about boys.

Chris must have noticed my expression, and he immediately looked concerned. "Is something wrong?"

I gave him a small smile. "No, no, nothing's wrong. I was just. . . thinking." Even with that short sentence, I felt like I had given away too much information.

**After school (back in Annabeth's dorm**):

"Who are you partnered up with?" Jennifer asked, lying on her bed, flipping through her math textbook.

"Chris. . . something," I replied, not remembering his last name.

"Chris? Never heard of him," Jennifer shrugged. Then, her head shot up. "Oh, he's that guy you were with during History. He was kneeling down next to your desk?"

"Um . . yeah," I looked up from my architectural book. "Why?"

Jennifer smiled. "He _so_ likes you."

"What?!" My mouth dropped open. "He does not!"

Jennifer smirked. "How obvious does a guy have to be?"

"Um, obvious enough that the girl can tell. .?" I said.

"Come on, Annabeth," Jennifer rolled over onto her side, propping her head up with her hand. Her smooth auburn hair swung as she switched positions. "What did he say to you?"

I thought back to class that day. "Well, he had memorized all the classes we had together," I remembered, turning slightly red. "And, um, he somehow knew that I loved Greek mythology."

Jennifer grinned at me. She would definitely be a daughter of Aphrodite, with all the love stuff. She kind of reminded me of Silena Beauregard, a daughter of Aphrodite who had died last year during the war against the Titans. The thought made me feel sad. . and made me think of Percy. My heart started to ache. I sighed and rolled onto my back, staring at the ceiling.

"Annabeth," Jennifer sighed. "Seriously, you have to get over that other guy. . . what was his name?"

"Jennifer, seriously, I don't really want to talk about it. I'm just gonna go take a walk. I'll be back soon," I said, getting up. I grabbed my jacket and shut the door behind me.

As I walked through the campus of Queenswood Academy, my thought swirled in my head. Did Chris really like me? If he did, was I ready to have someone like me like _that_ again? The Percy-and-Olivia drama had just happened last night. My heart ached with jealousy, pain, and worry. Worry because. . dare I say it, I was worried about Percy.

But I was also mad at him. And. . . dare I say it. . . jealous.

I mean, who wouldn't

Wait, wait, wait, I stopped myself. Don't be worried about that stupid Seaweed Brain Son of Poseidon. He broke your heart. . . more than once.

I was lost in thought until I suddenly ran into someone. "Oh my Gods, I'm _so_ sorry!" I exclaimed, looking to see who it was.

Of course. . it was Chris.

"Hey, Annabeth!" Chris smiled at me, though I was much more concerned because he was rubbing a bump on his head.

"Are you okay?" I asked him. He nodded.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Where're you going?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. I just wanted to go for a walk. . you know, just to clear my thoughts."

Chris nodded sympathetically. "Oh, I know how that feels. Tough few days?"

I nodded.

"Do you wanna, umm, talk about it?" he asked, turning a little red.

I shook my head. Chris let out a sigh of relief.

"Good, because I'm not that good with girls," he smiled.

The next thing I did I remembered for the rest of my life. Sometimes I think of it as one of the stupidest things I would have ever done, but sometimes, I think of it as one of the best decisions ever.

Maybe I had been hit with a love arrow. . or not. Or maybe I was just so desperate to recover from my heartbreak that I needed a shoulder to cry on. Someone besides Percy . . someone new.

"Yeah," he added. "I'm not good with girls at all. I can't seem to wow any of them," He laughed.

I turned to smile at him. . a real smile. . the first one since I was with Percy last night. "Well, Chris, I think you're doing pretty well."

"Really?" Chris's dark brown eyes lit up. I couldn't help thinking how chocolaty brown they were. By now, it was probably Aphrodite working her magic. I would never say that to a guy unless it was Percy . . . but . . .

I nodded and grinned at him. "Yup. Best guy I've ever seen."

I was probably being so stupid that Mom would blast me to bits. . but this was for the sake of my sanity and my heart. What I decided next changed my fate forever and changed how I would look at boys for a while.

I decided to give Chris a chance.

**A/N: AHH! Annabeth's being so stupid!! Lol. Next chapter is gonna be way better. . I promise. This one was a little stupid. . lol. : D**

** Omigods, guys, you got 40 reviews?!?! -gives you all cookies- Since you guys have proved to me that you guys are awesome, let's have the next goal be . . . 55 reviews?!?!! I just need timee to update because I'm trying to make the next chapter better than the previous one. . .lol. :D THANK YOUUUU ALL!! ILYYY WITH ALL MY HEARTT!! 333 :D **


	5. It's a Date

**A/N: Long story short- I was in the hospital until last Thursday (Broken Bones), I can't type anything so my bffl is typing everything for mee, so that's why I'm late on updates. I'm feeling SO much better already though. :D Longer A/N at the bottom!! :D 3 Enjoy!! **

**Percy POV:**

Obviously my mom could tell something was wrong. That whole week I had been moping around the house till the point when _Paul_ was worried. So one night at dinner, as I was about to excuse myself from another dinner, my mom and Paul exchanged glances and looked at me.

"Percy," my mom said, her voice worried. "Tell me, honey, what's wrong?"

"It's nothing," I said, getting up.

"Percy, really?" my mom stopped me with her voice. "You've been miserable for days! The last time I'd seen you like this was even before the war!"

"Mom, seriously," I replied. "I'm fine. Can I be excused, please?"

My mom looked like she was going to protest again, but Paul put his hand on hers and they locked eyes. Paul nodded, and my mom sighed.

"Sure, Percy," she said, as if she was struggling to say the words. "You can be excused."

I walked to my room and flopped down on my bed. My Camp Half-Blood trunk was sitting empty in the corner of my room and my camp necklace lay on my bedside table.

I heard a knock on my door. It couldn't be my mom though, the way she was now, her knock would be loud and concerned. The knock was quiet and calm. Paul. . I thought.

"Come in," I called from my position on my back, staring at the ceiling.

"Hey, Percy," Paul said, as he walked through the door. He took a seat on the foot of my bed and smiled awkwardly at me.

When I didn't reply, he said, "Um . .you do know that your mother is worried sick about you. . right?" he forced a small smile. "That's, uh, kinda why I'm here."

I felt a thin smile curling at my lips, and I sat up to face Paul. "Yeah, I do know, actually."

"Good, good," Paul replied. "So . . more girl trouble?"

"Once again," I said. "how did you know?"

Paul smiled and shrugged. "You're my stepson, Percy, and I know you've been through a lot. And you're at the age when girls start annoying the heck out of you but also somehow they make it so that you want to always be with them."

"Yeah," I admitted turning a little red. "Exactly." I sighed and looked at some picture frames on the wall. A photo of Annabeth and I hung in perfect view. My heart felt like it had just gotten a bruise.

"So," Paul started getting up. "I'm not exactly sure what girl trouble you've been through, but what always helps is trying to forget the heartbreak or that person. Hang out with your friends, go play some basketball, and soon, _poof_, you're fine. Okay?"

An image of someone floated into my head, but I just nodded. "Okay. Thanks, Paul."

"Anytime."

"Olivia!" I called, running to catch up with her in the hallway.

"Oh, hey, Percy!" She turned and smiled at me. "What's up?"

I shrugged. "Nothing really. You?"

"Nothing really," she imitated. I grinned. "Actually, there is something I wanted to ask you. Want to hang out this evening? I know this awesome diner place."

I thought back to Paul's words: 'Try to forget the heartbreak or that person'. So I looked at Olivia and replied, "That sounds great."

"Great," she smiled at me and batted her eyelashes. I blushed. "What time tonight?"

I shrugged again. "Up to you."

"Five-ish?"

"Sure," I replied.

"Okay then," Olivia said. "it's a date."

**Percy's house later that day:**

"Mom?" I called as I walked through the door of our apartment.

"In the kitchen!" I heard her reply.

"Hey," I smiled at her and gave her a hug.

"Well," my mom smiled as she wiped her hands on a towel. "Somebody's looking a lot better."

I shrugged. "What are you talking about? I was always better."

She laughed. "Sure you were. Anything you want to tell me? Was it Annabeth?"

My smile fell from my face in an instant, and I felt a familiar ache in my chest. My mom looked up at me, her face filled with concern.

"What's wrong? Something with Annabeth?"

"No, no, Mom, it's not that," I said. I changed the subject by saying, "Anyway, I'm going to dinner with a friend tonight. Is that okay?"

"Really? Who?"

"Oh, um, some girl . . from school. Just a friend."

My mom raised her eyebrows, but had a huge smile on her face. "Okay, then. If you say so. Sure, Percy, that's fine. Paul was planning to take me out to dinner too."

"Okay," I replied, walking to my room. "Thanks."

"So," I said, as Olivia and I walked down the streets of New York. "Where is this place?"

Olivia grinned at me. "Don't worry, I'm not taking you to a dungeon, or anything."

"Are you sure?" I smiled.

"Pretty sure," her brown eyes sparkled. I looked away from her for a minute to see exactly where we were, and my eyes suddenly widened.

Le Park Meridien.

That was our place. Annabeth. Thalia. Me. We used to come here all the time. Actually, now that I thought of it, Annabeth and I had just come here last week.

Olivia caught me staring at the hotel and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Oh, um, nothing. . .it's just, I've been here before a few times."

"Really?" Olivia didn't really sound that surprised. Then, she turned away from me and looked around.

"Yeah. . um, Olivia?" Olivia still seemed like she was looking for someone. "Are you looking for anyone?"

"Oh—oh, no, it's just. . .never mind," she grabbed my hand and opened the door of the restaurant. I felt awkward, with her hand in mine, but I decided to let it pass. Paul's words continued to ring in my head.

We took a seat at a booth by the window, and ordered.

"So," Olivia smiled at me. "Tell me a little bit more about you, Percy."

Um . . . ?

"'A little more about me'?" I asked. "Well . . uh. . ."

Just then, Olivia spotted something behind me (or it could on the top of my head), and her face lit up. She noticed that I had caught her instant mood change, so her expression suddenly changed to impassive.

I wasn't _that_ stupid, so I turned to see what Olivia was looking at. When I saw what she had been staring at, my heart stopped. . . and broke in two.

Annabeth was sitting with another guy. . talking and laughing as if they had known each other forever.

**A/N: :D Hope you liked it!!! You guys are SOO awesome. . getting me reviews everyday until you guys reach our goal. 58 REVIEWS?!?! Wow. :D 3 3 Thank you SOO much for that. **

** Anyways, since it'll be taking me longer to update (broken bones and all), I'm going to set our goal higher. Let's say 75. . okay?? :D Sorry about the high number, but it's gonna take me a LONG time because I'm not allowed to type anything. My best friend is typing everything including this message, but I'm just telling her what to say. SO sorry about that, but THANK YOUU FOR THE REVIEWS AND FAVORITES!!! :D :D 3 3 Review if you'd like me to update. I LOVE YOU ALL!!! 3 :D **


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